# Does anyone smoke in their home?



## knilas (Sep 15, 2013)

Just curious, does anyone smoke cigars in their home? If so, do you use an air filtration system (Rabbit Air, Winix Plasma Air?) 

I'm converting a room in the basement into a man cave and have thought about purchasing a room size air purification device to filter out the smoke and smell. Do any of you have any experience with this? Suggestions?


----------



## rraming (Nov 4, 2013)

Do a search for "Ventilation" and a bunch of stuff comes up - lots of room builds etc..


----------



## don24 (Apr 1, 2012)

no she wont, I mean I don't want the smell in the house .ya ya that's the ticket


----------



## knilas (Sep 15, 2013)

The Rabbit Air system gets great reviews, but is a lil pricey. I like the looks of them and the fact they mount on the wall though. May have to search for a cheaper alternative....


----------



## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

Window fan over my left shoulder. :tu
Can't use it when it's too hot or
if there's a strong east wind.


----------



## beercritic (Feb 13, 2011)

I have too many books to smoke in my house. My aunt lives up the road (0.2 miles) & loves cigar smoke.


----------



## brimy623 (May 25, 2013)

Hermit said:


> Window fan over my left shoulder. :tu


Ditto.

And only in my bedroom when no one else is home!!
Otherwise, it's outside.


----------



## A.McSmoke (Jan 9, 2013)

My ventilation is a cracked window and a fan. I don't do it often, but when I'm home alone, and have things to do other, I'll smoke in the office. I use a Smoke Odor Exterminator & Air Freshener by Tobacco Outlet Products, and the smell is usually gone within an hour or so.

Good luck with if you go the Pro Ventilation route.


----------



## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

I've grown so accustomed to it that I don't know what I'd do if I suddenly couldn't.
During the summer, I have to wait 'til after dark to deploy the window fan, but
while it's cool, it's hummin' all day. I suppose I'd smoke a lot less if I had to sit outside.
I smoke in my office while working, watching TV and perusing the forums.


----------



## TCBSmokes (Sep 25, 2013)

I smoke in the house. Keep it to two rooms. Cigar candle is all I use and it does a very good job of reducing leftover cigar smell by about 75% I'd say. A friend told me he had installed just an ordinary bathroom exhaust fan in his little study set up for cigars and it worked great. Might want to test that idea in one of your own bathrooms? Worth a shot, right? If so, would be cheap and easy to install and operate. Good luck. TCB


----------



## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

Ventilation is the key; you can't kill the smoke, ya gotta remove it.
I light my Lampe Berger before I retire, to cover what the fan didn't remove.


----------



## Cigar5150 (Aug 19, 2013)

Hermit said:


> Ventilation is the key;* you can't kill the smoke, ya gotta remove it*.
> I light my Lampe Berger before I retire, to cover what the fan didn't remove.


This is what I've found to be true. The purification systems I've tried just collect the odor and soon just turning it on fills the room with the smell. I do smoke inside sometimes, and I don't want to walk into the house and smell stale, leftover, cigar smoke. With all the windows open and sometimes a candle afterwards there's no leftover odor.


----------



## sam1014 (Nov 30, 2009)

I think i spent about 500 on my system...well worth it. I installed everything and hooked it up to an adjustable switch so i can control the fan. Wouldn't go any other route if i were you. With that and a glade plug in on the wall, the room smells no different than any other. Keep in mind I went with all leather furniture and no rugs. Let us know what you end up doing.


----------



## jfeva0049 (Nov 19, 2009)

I used one of these for a while and it worked really well. But you must know that with any non exhaust unit like this or a rabbit, you will never 100% remove the smoke smell completely. will the room smell like a cigar lounge, no but you will still be able to tell that the room gets smoked in. for me it was not a matter if i could tell i smoked in the room, but if my wife could smell cigar smoke in any other room.

here is the link to the unit i used and was very happy with it;

Home Smoke Eater - Smoke Eaters for Home Use

good luck.


----------



## USHOG (Dec 28, 2012)

I use carbon scrubbers in my smoke room works great for removing any smells. I found this out while raising many dogs and puppies in my garage when the weather is bad. The ammonia smell would get bad even keeping it very clean the smell was never gone. I built a carbon scrubber and the smells where gone.


----------



## Tobias Lutz (Feb 18, 2013)

If it weren't for the young 'uns, I'm pretty sure my wife would pose no argument to me smoking in my study. With a toddler and an infant around I don't really have the desire to smoke inside. I am fortunate enough to have an "enclosed" porch than blocks the wind and has an outlet for a space heater in the winter.


----------



## TCBSmokes (Sep 25, 2013)

jfeva0049 said:


> I used one of these for a while and it worked really well. But you must know that with any non exhaust unit like this or a rabbit, you will never 100% remove the smoke smell completely. will the room smell like a cigar lounge, no but you will still be able to tell that the room gets smoked in.* for me it was not a matter if i could tell i smoked in the room, but if my wife could smell cigar smoke in any other room. *
> here is the link to the unit i used and was very happy with it;
> 
> Home Smoke Eater - Smoke Eaters for Home Use
> ...


Same here with me. My wife sometimes smokes with me (a few tester puffs) and even likes the smell, but doesn't necessarily want it permeating throughout the whole house, especially the following day. Nor would I for that matter (she might be reading this).

Nice set-up by the way! Cocktails..? Sure, why not.


----------



## Sag997 (Nov 8, 2013)

Sometimes in the winter I smoke near the fireplace and I dont have smelling issues..!!


----------



## jfeva0049 (Nov 19, 2009)

TCBSmokes said:


> Same here with me. My wife sometimes smokes with me (a few tester puffs) and even likes the smell, but doesn't necessarily want it permeating throughout the whole house, especially the following day. Nor would I for that matter (she might be reading this).
> 
> Nice set-up by the way! Cocktails..? Sure, why not.


thank you, i have since sold the smoke eater unit and I installed a full ventilation unit. with the window cracked, it works like a charm. i just wish i had the time to use the cigar room more often...


----------



## imported_mark_j (Aug 18, 2013)

I live in an old (1897) Victorian home with a "secret room" in one of the back, upstairs corners of the home (the door is under the attic stairwell) that is approximately 9' x 12'. It has two windows, one of which is always cracked open for ventilation and the door is always kept shut. I smoke in there regularly and listen to my hi-fi rig or use my computer. 

Over time, it has developed a smell similar to my humidor. I love it. Leaving the window open all the time, even in the winter, seems to work just fine. You would think it would get cold but it does not. Something about the physics of the house causes air to be sucked out the window naturally. Weird, but I'm grateful. You can see the smoke rushing out of the window if the lighting is just right.

I know this post is more bragging than actually helpful, sorry.

A tip...throw your cigar butts out immediately. I find that its the stale old cigars sitting in the ashtray that really stink, not the cigar smoke so much.


----------



## knilas (Sep 15, 2013)

Thanks to all who have posted! Knew id get helpful responses.

In my previous home of over 10 years my ex wife and I smoked cigarettes. With the two of us smoking, the odor permeated everything. Carpets..walls...furniture, etc.. The biggest evidence of our bad habit was revealed when I took pictures off the walls. The tar from all that smoking left exact imprints of anything that was hanging there. This was a big eye opener! Anyway, since then I refuse to smoke in my home. But I miss being able to enjoy my cigars in the comfort of my easy chair during the colder months. So..I'm looking for alternatives or ideas from my BOTL. Granted, cigar smoke n smell is much more pleasant than that from nasty cigarettes, but if I can avoid any unpleasantries, id like to try.


----------



## Horrorphilly (Jul 25, 2012)

Since its chilly here in pa. I smoke in my garage at night and outside during the day. I wouldn't smoke in my house as I have a wife and a child.


Sean


----------



## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

mark_j said:


> A tip...*throw your cigar butts out immediately*. I find that its the stale old cigars sitting in the ashtray that really stink, not the cigar smoke so much.


Used pipe cleaners, too.


----------



## Old Smokey (Sep 13, 2013)

I have a room where I keep my HiFi and computer. My wife refers to it as my mancave, as she never goes in there. I have smoked a cigar in there a couple of times over the last 10 days with the window opened about 6", ceiling fan running and a small space heater on. It seems to keep it fairly well aired out and comfortable. I won't smoke in any other part of the house. At least I have a viable option for the upcoming winter. If it is tolerable, I smoke outdoors.


----------



## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

I almost always smoke inside except for the summer; I get by with a Lampe Berger. Definitely empty that ash tray (along with pipe cleaners for those of us on the other side) immediately; it seems to be much worse than the actual smoke.


----------



## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

Lots of good stuff here thus far. I smoke in the house and I'm about as low-tech as it gets. I use a floor standing fan, aimed at the rear door of my man cave. Afterwards, I have a LaTeeDa (Lampe Berger) that I run for one heat cycle (25-30 min) and that knocks down the rest. It's true that you can't kill 100% of the smoke without venting, but an expensive, ceiling-mounted scrubber will get you close. In about an hour, it'll have removed well into the 90th percentile.

I find that cigar smoke doesn't linger and especially permeate nearly as badly as cigarette smoke. Commercial cigarettes are the worst of all; RYO, with good quality, non-additive tobacco isn't as bad. As said, it's more the butts that will get you with cigars. I repurpose the butts into insecticide by steeping them in a large jar of water and then using the tea to spray around my yard. Best thing I've ever used. The butts can then be re-repurposed; tossed into the garden for fertilizer and insect control.


----------



## Win (Dec 14, 2011)

When we bought our home it had a H/T room and I was determined to smoke while watching something. Well, I tried it and I just didn't enjoy it that much. We're temperate enough that even in Winter I can enjoy a smoke outside.


----------



## nelldog1 (Aug 5, 2013)

don24 said:


> no she wont, I mean I don't want the smell in the house .ya ya that's the ticket


Same here, wife has a super sniffer, I think she can smell tobacco smoke from a mile away.


----------



## knilas (Sep 15, 2013)

Herf N Turf said:


> Lots of good stuff here thus far. I smoke in the house and I'm about as low-tech as it gets. I use a floor standing fan, aimed at the rear door of my man cave. Afterwards, I have a LaTeeDa (Lampe Berger) that I run for one heat cycle (25-30 min) and that knocks down the rest. It's true that you can't kill 100% of the smoke without venting, but an expensive, ceiling-mounted scrubber will get you close. In about an hour, it'll have removed well into the 90th percentile.
> 
> I find that cigar smoke doesn't linger and especially permeate nearly as badly as cigarette smoke. Commercial cigarettes are the worst of all; RYO, with good quality, non-additive tobacco isn't as bad. As said, it's more the butts that will get you with cigars. I repurpose the butts into insecticide by steeping them in a large jar of water and then using the tea to spray around my yard. Best thing I've ever used. The butts can then be re-repurposed; tossed into the garden for fertilizer and insect control.


Whoa! Talk about your plethora of good Intel! Had no idea you could use spent butts as insecticide! And that word Lampe Berger keeps creeping up....what is it? And how does it work?

I set up an empty spare bedroom last night w/ a tv and portable electric space heater. Plopped down in a chair and lit one up after cracking a window. Got down to the high 30's outside last eve...the room was a lil chilly, bit it was worth it! Just threw on a sweatshirt n gutted it out. This am..not much lingering smell and my yellow lab doesn't appear to be any worse for the wear! We may be on to something here!


----------



## commonsenseman (Apr 18, 2008)

My basement is unfinished, so I just stuff a towel under the door & smoke away. There's a very small amount that gets upstairs, that can be corrected with a little bit of febreeze.

I suppose it goes without saying that I make sure the family is out of the house first.


----------



## ldman (Nov 8, 2013)

NO SMOKING ALLOWED!!!! .... In my Home!!! I quit cigarettes about 3 months ago. Wife quit smoking 20 years ago. I respect her wishes to not smoke in the house... UMM... I do occasionally cheat in the winter months when it's dam cold outside. She gets home from work 6 hour after me.... Doesn't matter even if I do use the central heat and air to be rid of the smoke.... she still smells it and gets pissed.... But hey, she knows how it is...


----------



## sjcruiser36 (Dec 20, 2012)

I don't smoke in the house, just a personal preference. I smoke mainly out back on the patio, even when it gets cold (I like the cold weather). I usually bundle up and stick to smaller cigars when the temperature really drops.


----------



## Pj201 (Apr 27, 2013)

I smoke in my cave, I just use a tower purifier with a ionizer in it. It's not perfect but it works well for me and the grand kids aren't allowed in papa's cave. :wink:


----------



## RobertNYC (Nov 3, 2013)

Yes, I smoke in the house on a daily basis.


----------



## rraming (Nov 4, 2013)

In the garage and it is not liked!


----------



## deke (Aug 19, 2013)

Not me. Outdoors during the warmer months. Going to a cigar lounge for the winter -- about 8 minute drive from the house. But I had one yesterday outside -- was a little over 50 degrees, sun with no wind. Very nice.


----------



## baust55 (Sep 8, 2013)

The GF recently gave me permission to smoke cigars in the basement billiards/bar room ,I use a small heap air cleaner.


----------



## Damselnotindistress (Aug 7, 2011)

Yes, and only at home. Being a girl I'm a little reluctant to be seen in public puffing a fine seegar, and especially since I'm not a long and skinny lover. I always have a stick of Indian incense lit while smoking and that takes the smoke smell out pretty well. Also, the aroma of my cigars is usually gone in a few hours.


----------



## Joe K (Oct 30, 2013)

View attachment 81942
yes I'm not going outside this winter. I got a nice smoking table and a exhaust fan I put in one of the kitchen windows. Works great. There is absolutely no smoke smell in the house.


----------



## Sprouthog (Jul 25, 2012)

Patio, deck, garage. Not inside the house.


----------



## Joe K (Oct 30, 2013)

View attachment 81943
sorry I can't get my pictures to upload straight


----------



## muellerob (Sep 17, 2013)

Yep, in the house. I have a room that I'm allowed to smoke in -- Windows open (good electric heater for the winter) door closed. Works well. No odor complaints so far.


----------



## knilas (Sep 15, 2013)

I tried out the window cracked idea and it works pretty good. I also run my furnace fan while I'm smoking. This seems to help draw most of the smoke out of the house and thru the furnace filter. So those two together make it possible to enjoy a fine gar while I'm chillin in my comfy chair in front of the TV or hi fi. No residual odor, either.


----------



## baust55 (Sep 8, 2013)

here ya go joe


----------



## bogiestogie (Jul 22, 2013)

Smoking now with the door cracked fan blowing out and I'm in my comfy chair with a cold Shiner Bock with the wife next to me on her iPad enjoying the smell.


----------



## knilas (Sep 15, 2013)

bogiestogie said:


> Smoking now with the door cracked fan blowing out and I'm in my comfy chair with a cold Shiner Bock with the wife next to me on her iPad enjoying the smell.


That's the good life/ good wife right there! Congrats!


----------



## Livin' Legend (Sep 23, 2012)

I prefer to smoke outside, but during the colder months (all two of them here in southeast Texas) I go out to the garage, and when it's too cold or I'm too lazy, I'll VERY occasionally fire one up in the apartment, with a fan blowing out the cracked patio door. The way I see it, it's rare enough not to permanently stain or stink anything, and my lease always ends in the autumn months before indoor smoking is necessary, so lease rules be damned!


----------



## knilas (Sep 15, 2013)

The blower fan on your furnace/ ac unit works very well, imo. I set mine to "on" while I'm smoking and for about an hour after. I've noticed no lingering smell at all. Your heating n cooling will still cycle on n off...just remember to switch it back to auto once ur sure the air is clear.


----------



## Fuelie95 (Oct 24, 2007)

knilas said:


> The Rabbit Air system gets great reviews, but is a lil pricey. I like the looks of them and the fact they mount on the wall though. May have to search for a cheaper alternative....


The only negative I've discovered with a Rabbit Air, besides the price, is that it's not as slim as the ads make it appear. If you want to mount it on a wall, it'll stick out a bit and if you want to put it on a shelf, you'll need to leave plenty of space around the edges for the air to circulate...


----------



## TAB (Dec 5, 2013)

Garage for me. My wife lets me smoke pipes in the house (although she's not crazy about it) but no way on cigars. Pick your battles, right?


----------



## bogie1972 (Dec 17, 2010)

I guess I have been very lucky, my wife and I both have grown up as non smokers and when I started in the Pipe hobby a cple of years ago she never ever complained. Eventually I started up in Cigars as well, although the smoke from the cigar would get to her if I am sitting right next to her, she has never said or even implied that she preferred I did not smoke in the house.

We moved last month into a home that I helped my dad build from ground up. The entire house inside and out is made from raw cedar and cypress. Most of the inside wood that we scavenged from an old church or two that is over 100 years old. It seems to me that the natural odors from this wood actually is complemented by the cigar and pipe smoking, although I am not a heavy smoker. If that makes any sense lol. I myself do prefer to be close to an open window as the heavy smoke from the cigar tends to irritate me a small bit.


----------



## HardHeaded (Nov 6, 2013)

I smoke indoors when its cold. I recently started convering a spare bedroom to my man cave area. It already has a tv, the couch comes saturday and I have a small work bench set up for wood carving. Once I'm done my wife might not see me the rest of the winter.


----------



## Hiroshiro (Sep 22, 2013)

TAB said:


> Garage for me. My wife lets me smoke pipes in the house (although she's not crazy about it) but no way on cigars. Pick your battles, right?


Why Pipe and Not Cigar? Pipe Looks Cooler? haha


----------



## huskers (Oct 2, 2012)

I have a man cave that's attached to the house but has no heating or cooling piped into the room. 

It has a door to the outside that I open the screen on the screen door and I've made a system that I attach a box fan to which then hangs from the door. 

Works pretty good.


----------



## Chilone (Dec 11, 2013)

I'm amazed that people still use the term "hi-fi" lol.


----------



## McFortner (May 13, 2007)

I'll smoke my pipe indoors occasionally, but cigars are strictly outside or at the tobacconist. My home only has 3 bedrooms. One is mine, one is my son's, and one is for when my daughter visits so they are out. Then there's the open floor plan with the living room/dining room/kitchen. That's it. I have nowhere to put in a "man cave" or smoking room. C'est la vie.


----------



## cpmcdill (Jan 11, 2014)

Started with an outdoor-only policy, then furnished an outbuilding for smoking on rainy/windy (but not necessarily cold) days. But then this Winter started early and has been so brutal, that my wife and I decided TO HECK WITH IT and changed the policy. We both enjoy cigars and pipes, and since we don't get many guests anyway, we decided to take it indoors when the weather's cold. Got a new HEPA air purifier, and it's done a pretty good job of keeping the smells from lingering. In fact, the pipe tobacco has actually made the house smell really nice. Even got the mother-in-law to start smoking cigars, so she has no objection when joins us for an evening game of Scrabble.


----------



## jd5253 (Dec 27, 2013)

Deck when it's warm....garage when it's cold....I will never smoke in my home or my vehicle


----------



## border bandit (Feb 26, 2012)

I smoke inside, but only in my cigar room. Sealed up the room with an exterior grade glass door so its insulated and has a good seal so no smoke sneaks past it. Then I have two inline exhaust vents installed in the room (room was set up as a family room when the house was built) expelling the air. Added a second a/c vent due to the hot days down here. Works like a charm. 

Like some have mentioned here, get the cigar butt and ashes out as soon as your done. Another thing that I noticied is try to minimize or eliminate as much fabric as you can from the room. When I had a fabric couch in there, it sucked up the cigar smoke and just got musty after a while. Now I got wood floors (tile works just as good), leather chairs and no fabric. Ive had people walk in there and tell me that they cant even smell cigar smoke. Makes quick work of smoke too when I have some buds over and we are herf'n it. 

Good luck!


----------



## SeanTheEvans (Dec 13, 2013)

I smoke in my living room, but I don't have kids. I have quite a few pets though, so I already have two Hunter HEPA filters running around the house at all times to keep the dander and hair to a minimum. 
I bring both the air purifiers into the room and turn them full blast. It smells a bit when I'm done, but it's nothing compare to the strong odor cigarettes used to leave on my clothing etc, even though I'd never dream of smoking them in the home. If I leave the air things at full blower power overnight, when I wake up, I can only tell that there is a faint smell if I search for it, but by the time I get home from work, it's gone, and a stranger entering would have no clue about the previous night's activities. Planning on using a window fan to make things expedited when the weather allows, but this works for me for now. I'll probably try one of those scented oils people keep bringing up when I get a chance too.


----------



## Stickymatch (Dec 31, 2013)

border bandit said:


> I smoke inside, but only in my cigar room. Sealed up the room with an exterior grade glass door so its insulated and has a good seal so no smoke sneaks past it. Then I have two inline exhaust vents installed in the room (room was set up as a family room when the house was built) expelling the air. Added a second a/c vent due to the hot days down here. Works like a charm.
> 
> Like some have mentioned here, get the cigar butt and ashes out as soon as your done. Another thing that I noticied is try to minimize or eliminate as much fabric as you can from the room. When I had a fabric couch in there, it sucked up the cigar smoke and just got musty after a while. Now I got wood floors (tile works just as good), leather chairs and no fabric. Ive had people walk in there and tell me that they cant even smell cigar smoke. Makes quick work of smoke too when I have some buds over and we are herf'n it.
> 
> Good luck!


What type of exhaust vents do you have? I will be building a cigar room in the basement soon and was just planning on using a couple of Broan 150cfm bathroom exhaust fans and I'm looking for other/better ideas.....assuming that's not what you're using.  Thanks.


----------



## border bandit (Feb 26, 2012)

Stickymatch said:


> What type of exhaust vents do you have? I will be building a cigar room in the basement soon and was just planning on using a couple of Broan 150cfm bathroom exhaust fans and I'm looking for other/better ideas.....assuming that's not what you're using.  Thanks.


I am using two Panasonic Whisperline inline exhaust vents. Cant remember if its 240cfm's each or 340cfm's. They are marketed as one of the quietest inline exhaust fans on the market, something like 1.4 sones while operating. I have both of them running at the same time and my central air is louder than they are, seriously - you can barely hear them. I control them with a wall switch that has different timer buttons on it. Depending on what kind of stick I'm going to smoke, I'll always add an hour longer than I think it's going to take me to finish the smoke. So, if it takes me an hour to smoke my cigar, I set it for 2 hours - 1 hour for getting the smoke out while smoking and one more for good measure. So far, it has worked flawlessly. There is a formula that I used that is floating around here on puff that depending on how big your room is, it will tell you how many CFM's you're gonna need. I went by that.


----------



## Stickymatch (Dec 31, 2013)

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.


----------



## Gerace716 (Jan 16, 2014)

A couple times this winter it was so cold and I didn't have time to warm up the garage with the wood burner so I put a box fan in front of a window in my attic and it works great. No smell went downstairs what so ever and the next day it smelled fine up there. One day I will build a legit smoking room with exhaust but until then gotta do what I gotta do lol


----------



## fshnpf (Jan 6, 2014)

Used to smoke in the family room after my wife went to bed. Had a fireplace converted to gas logs and it sucked up all the smoke. Since we remodeled the house I now use the smoking lounge at a local cigar shop in winter and the deck in summer. I have to admit that smoking outside is just not as enjoyable unless there is zero wind.


----------



## maddevildog (Feb 23, 2014)

No way, she would kill me.


----------



## gsantarelli1 (Dec 13, 2011)

We smoke my buddy's shed in the winter.


----------



## CWO (Feb 3, 2014)

I smoke outside when weather permits and in the garage during most of the winter. I have a Robeson kerosene heater to keep things comfortable and just added an air purifier for the days when it's too cold to crack the door. Never in the house as it's almost impossible to get the stale smoke smell out of the furniture, drapes, etc.


----------



## SeanTheEvans (Dec 13, 2013)

About to right now. This works fine for me for now- could be improved, but no long-term smell, I swearz it.


and yes, my house is ugly atm, don't judge me:tsk:


----------

